On the challenges of writing fiction

So the other day I got an unexpected check in the mail, and I went out and squandered it on a food processor and a Dustbuster. The nineteen-year-old who still lives in my brain was appalled that this is what I would do with a hundred bucks because she would have bought some great shoes…

My next “Write Your Book Proposal” E-Course starts September 12, but I will be raising the tuition in July. So, if you’re planning to take the class, please sign up now for the old tuition rate. Also, Dojo Wisdom officially releases July 1, but you can preorder it now. Thank you!

A couple weeks ago, an old friend from graduate school emailed me and said he’d be in town and would I be able to meet him for lunch? I said sure, and then I counted out the years and had one of those moments:       Twenty years since I’d last seen him!  …

This was a sign on the wall near a cliff Jessica and I visited during our European adventures. Note that it is a very graphic representation of what could happen if you step too near the edge. Note that I disregarded the sign even after I took a picture of it. In other words, I…

A friend of mine who is forty-something recently had a baby. This is the third child she has welcomed into her life; the other two are school-aged. I met her for coffee recently, and had the chance to hug her sweet new baby and marvel at how calm and relaxed the new mama was. My…

A few weeks ago, my artist friend, Lynne Baur, commented that she could help me learn to draw after I mentioned that I’d love to do an illustrated book but have no artistic talent whatsoever. (She said, and I quote, “You shouldn’t take ‘can’t draw’ as an obstacle to an illustrated book.”) For a sample…